“Cooking is not everyone’s cup of tea. You need to hone your culinary skills with precision,” says Anurupa Rout who has participated in cookery shows and contests.
Currently based in New Delhi, Anurupa made Odisha proud by winning the runner-up title in ‘Chulha Chukka,’ a culinary show aired on Anjan Television. She recently participated in a cookery competition held at ISKCON, New Delhi where she prepared eight varieties of ‘Mahaprasad’ within an hour and wowed co-competitors and judges. She has also won several contests organised at the top hotels in New Delhi and elsewhere.
Hailing from Cuttack, Anurupa’s culinary skills have impressed judges at the competitions. She explained how she developed an interest in cooking: “Odisha is popular for its mouth-watering delicacies including rice, curry, deserts, seafood and many more. The state’s biggest kitchen is obviously at the Jagannath temple in Puri where 56 varieties of dishes are cooked daily. In Odisha, we are trained from childhood to make delicacies for offering to our deities. After my postgraduate studies, I was at home for three months and that is when I learnt cooking from my mother and aunt. I used to watch cookery shows on television. My interest in cooking grew into a passion gradually. After my marriage, my husband Jajati Keshari encouraged me to develop my culinary skills. I started learning more about cooking.”
About the show ‘Chulha Chukka,’ Anurupa Rout says, “During the audition for the show, I initially planned to make Odia dishes. I prepared ‘dalma’ and ‘mitha kanika,’ which is a popular food combination during festivities in Odisha. I was a bit nervous while serving the items but, to my surprise, I scored full marks and was chosen for the show. The panel of judges was happy with my recipe prepared out of simple ingredients and in a short time. This encouraged me and I started preparations to win the show. During the elimination rounds, I cooked other popular Odia dishes. In the quarterfinal round, I had to cook a Chinese item and had to guess, while blind-folded, the ingredients in recipes prepared by other contestants by the smell. In the semifinals, I was asked to name the vegetables and ingredients on my table and I had to prepare a recipe using those ingredients. I succeeded in the semis and was selected for the finals. There I was the first runner-up. I had to prepare some North Indian dish for which I was not prepared. But the judges were happy with my effort.”
“It was a turning point in my life. I became a member of a chef fraternity in New Delhi and started taking part in various competitions in the city. I won many competitions, but my most remarkable achievement was winning the competition held at ISKCON, New Delhi. We have always carried ‘Mahaprasad’ of Lord Jagannath with us wherever we go. I learnt the procedure of cooking ‘Mahaprasad’ and succeeded in preparing various delicacies for the Lord,” she adds, with a smile.
SOYONG, OP
